The difference between great employees and poor ones? Motivation

Most of us have seen people who perform their jobs by doing as little as humanly possible. They come to work late and are the first ones out the door in the evening. They miss deadlines, and when they complete a task, they do only the bare minimum that is required. They do nothing extra and rarely demonstrate forward thinking. They seem to get lost throughout the day and can often be found in the break room complaining about their jobs. Nothing seems to make them happy. They think the world owes them a job and they are just marking off time.

On the other hand, we also know people who give 200 percent to any project. They are punctual and hardworking, and they approach new projects with a smile instead of a complaint. They work well alone and also work well on a team. They are passionate and eager to do a great job. They are proud of their work. They have a critical and questioning attitude and ask questions when they don't understand something.

What makes these two types of workers so different? The only answer I can come up with is motivation.

Motivated employees have a strong desire and the will to succeed. They have an internal drive to do their very best no matter what the project. Unmotivated employees are much less concerned about their performance and are willing to get by with a minimum amount of effort.

If you are a manager or supervisor, you want to develop and encourage good employee performance, which is usually a result of strong employee motivation. Managers can't just press a button and create the motivation they need in the employee. Motivation is an internal state that only the individual can control. In an effort to develop motivated workers, managers can create a workplace environment that will inspire and support strong motivation on the part of the employees. This includes setting clear and specific goals that employees must work toward; encouraging outstanding performance through rewards and recognitions; and lastly, maintaining open lines of communication with employees from all levels of the organization.

In today's economy, a motivated staff is vital. When it comes to pulling through these difficult times, an organization needs to have workers that will put maximum effort into their tasks and row in the same direction.

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The difference between great employees and poor ones? Motivation

Most of us have seen people who perform their jobs by doing as little as humanly possible. They come to work late and are the first ones out the door in the evening.

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